19 May 2019

Public security remains a key developmental agenda item for the Southern African Development Community (SADC)  integration agenda.

Officially opening the Public Security Sub-Committee (PSSC) of the Inter-State Defence and Security Committee meeting in Gaborone recently, organ on politics, defence and security cooperation director, Mr Jorge Cardoso said it was only when the region and its people were secure that regional integration and social cohesion can have a probable chance of success.

Mr Cardoso said SADC envisioned a common future for all, fully espoused in a common agenda, underpinning the promotion of sustainable and equitable economic growth, socio-economic development, consolidation and maintenance of democracy, peace and security.

He emphasised that peace and security were important for the region to thrive economically, socially and politically.

Furthermore, he divulged that sectors such as immigration, customs, refugees, parks and wildlife were catalytic to regional integration through balanced and mutually beneficial policies.

He said the annual statutory meet afforded member states an opportunity to interrogate and assess what had been achieved, what was lagging behind and most importantly, solutions to identified gaps.

Mr Cardoso highlighted that there was some progress made and achievements such as the resuscitation of the UNIVISA pilot project and the finalisation of the common regional refugees and asylum seekers management framework.

Conversely, the director revealed that there are some challenges such as slow, and in most cases, non-submission of reports to the secretariat for consolidation.

He said there was non-ratification of key instruments such as protocol on the facilitation of movement of persons in the SADC region, which was adopted 13 years ago, with only five member states having ratified it.

Thus, he urged member states to implement, monitor and report to the secretariat in delivering on such. ENDS